DeKalb CUSD 428 – 2022 Annual Report

2022 ANNUAL REPORT DEKALB COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT #428

School, Community, Family... a partnership for education

Dear Community Members,

Dear Members of the DeKalb 428 Community, As your superintendent, I am excited to have entered my second year and continue serving School District 428. The last few years have been unprecedented, but we are seeing a new horizon. We have taken a stance on learning from the past and developing for the future, all with the best intentions for our students’ success.

I am committed to ensuring a more supportive and holistic approach for our students’ needs, as well as support and resources for our schools. The Board of Education agreed to additional positions to ensure that we start our year off with as many supports as possible. I am grateful for that.

We can begin to remove obstacles where possible, open up spaces for new experiences, and drive our practice with data. Our teachers are engaging in professional learning communities and implementing strategies using their learning and data (Rise, WIN, Academies). We are better together.

I want to thank every single member of the DeKalb CUSD 428 staff, as they make us great. Our buildings and grounds crews, our maintenance teams, our cafeteria staff, our tech team, our health and well-being staff, our office personnel, our assistants, and our teachers, as well as our central office staff – THANK YOU! Finally, thank you to the parents, guardians and community members for doing your diligence in raising the future. We work together to make tomorrow happen. When we do, no one fails. Let’s continue to work together to build DeKalb CUSD 428 into the place where everyone wants to be!

Gratefully yours, MINERVA GARCIA-SANCHEZ, ED.D. Superintendent, DeKalb CUSD 428

OUR MISSION:

We are settling into the 2022-2023 school year with excitement and anticipation of growth and success! Over the last year, we focused on revamping our mission, vision, values, and priorities as we developed a three-year strategic plan. Our updated mission is to provide an equitable and inclusive education that supports students holistically, providing the tools they need to thrive by partnering with families and supporting staff to meet the needs of each of our students. We see this mission as a way to achieve our vision to positively impact students’ lives, supporting each student to achieve their full potential. We invite the community as partners in this important endeavor.

We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that we could not have completed these tasks without the input from all of our stakeholders including staff, students, families, and community members. Many of our guiding documents, practices, and protocols were updated with the goal to make the education of our students and the support of our staff more efficient and effective. We look forward to the full implementation of those revisions and we cannot thank the staff enough who directly support student learning every day!

As this year progresses there will be many opportunities for our community to engage with the district including but not limited to committees, district events, and school board meetings. We are grateful to have a community that values education and supports children. We look forward to continually exploring ways to authentically engage families in the education of our children. We recognize that to positively impact children’s lives, we have to partner with families. Moreover, we are dedicated to engaging students as codecision makers in their educational experience in new ways. As we move into the second year of having a student Board Member, we will look for more ways to amplify student voice in our district. After all, students are the reason we are all here and we thank our students for their effort and dedication!

With gratitude, SAMANTHA MCDAVID President, Board of Education

The mission of DeKalb CUSD 428 to provide an equitable and inclusive education that supports students holistically, providing the tools they need to thrive by partnering with families and supporting staff to meet the needs of each of our students.

Core Values & Commitments District 428 is committed to values that govern and allocate resources with a student focus. These principles shape our aims, program development, and support systems. They direct instruction, curriculum, and assessment to positively impact students’ lives, helping each student achieve their full potential.

Our vision is to positively impact students’ lives, supporting each student to achieve their full potential.

Mission

Centering Students

Academic Excellence

Unity and Collaboration Engaging Families and Community

Equitable and Inclusive Learning Environments

Three-Year Targets

Vision

Our mission is to provide an equitable and inclusive education that supports students holistically, providing the tools they need to thrive by partnering with families and supporting staff to meet the needs of each of our students.

of students in grades K-2 will meet or exceed grade-level proficiency for math and reading.

of high school students will graduate on time within four years.

of students in grades 3-8 will meet or exceed growth target on MAP for math and reading.

attendance rate for students.

of students in grades 3-8 will meet or exceed grade level attainment on MAP for math and reading.

decrease in the number of students receiving office discipline referrals.

of students will meet or exceed college readiness benchmarks on SAT for math and ELA.

decrease in the disproportionality of OSS among Black students.

2018-19 BOARD OF EDUCATION BOARD OF EDUCATION

Samantha McDavid President

Deyci Ramirez Vice-President

Ariel Owens Secretary

Amanda Harness

Sarah Moses

Jeromy Olson

David Seymour

Alumni Spotlight

Student Board Member We all know stories of people who are overlooked, or late bloomers; Mike Piazza was taken in the 62nd round of the MLB draft and was elected to the Hall of Fame, Julia Child wrote her first cookbook at 50, and so on.

This is not that story. Matt Allen, DeKalb High School class of 1999, was a standout back in high school. He captained the Forensics team, had the lead in several musicals and fall plays, and won Mr. DHS by singing Under the Sea dressed as Sebastian the lobster.

Those who “knew him when” may not be surprised to learn that after graduating from the University of Illinois and post-graduate work at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Matt Allen moved into the entertainment industry. Today, his work is the recipient of over a dozen Emmy Awards and additional nominations, a James Beard Award, Tellys, AIPS and multiple other industry honors and festivals. Interestingly, Matt’s professional success

is a product of the work he has done behind the camera, not in front.

As a content creator, Matt is the producer, director and writer of award winning films like Birthright and Drive Like Andretti. As a content developer, he is the producer and director of series like The Sisterhood and Our Future Selves with Ashton Kutcher. Across eight Olympic Games, he has curated the stories of athletes and host nations, and this work has taken him to nearly every continent in the process. If a story about an Olympian overcoming adversity has changed your perspective, or warmed your heart, you likely have Matt Allen to thank.

Matt and his wife Corey live in Connecticut with their three young children.

He appreciates his inclusion in the alumni spotlight, calling it a tremendous honor, and would like to extend his gratitude to the entire DeKalb school district and community.

Chance Calin is a student at DeKalb High School, and they serve as the first-ever Student Board Member.

The role of the Student Board Member is essential, as they act as a liaison between fellow Board Members and the students of the District.

On July 27, 2022, Chance and Board Secretary Ariel Owens co-hosted a Youth Speak Out in collaboration with D428 Parents. The purpose of the event was to provide an informal space for students, from all grade levels, to share their experiences within the District.

This event provided a wealth of knowledge. Chance presented a summary of the Speak Out during a Board meeting; Board members and community members were appreciative of the event and the feedback which emerged from it. Chance is excited to host more Speak Outs alongside additional Board Members.

Beyond the Youth Speak Outs, Chance looks forward to gathering and sharing more student feedback through the creation of a Student Advisory Committee. This committee will inform Chance’s future presentations to the Board and, most importantly, it will provide an important outlet for students to express concerns as well as share in the joys of their student experiences.

Where Everybody Belongs: Welcoming sixth-graders to a new campus Transitioning to a new school can be challenging, and maybe even a bit scary.

No one knows that better than sixth-grade students, leaving their elementary nests for the first time to head to middle school.

In order to combat the beginning-of-year jitters and smooth the transition for our sixth-grade students, staff at Huntley and Clinton Rosette’s enlist the help of some experts: our own eighth-grade students, who made the same leap only two years ago.

spend a few minutes as a large group in the gym, as staff and eighth-graders pump them up for the day ahead and for all that middle school has to offer. Team building and friendly competition follow, after which students make their way to smaller groups in classrooms with their individual WEB leaders.

Using the research-based WEB program, staff at both middle schools train eighthgrade students to serve as mentors and guides for sixth-graders. WEB, which stands for Where Everybody Belongs, starts with a leadership workshop for the eighthgraders. Students come in for two full days of training, learning about the importance of developing a sense of belonging and how feeling a connection to your school can be a key to academic success.

Eighth-graders are trained in starting and facilitating conversations, fostering positive group dynamics, and encouraging supportive peer interactions.

With their small groups, the eighth-grade leaders shine. Over the course of an hour, WEB Leaders create a safe environment where sixth-graders can have fun while still building connection and imparting anxiety-reducing information. Furthermore, WEB Leaders tell the younger students about activities and sports they can join, what to expect in classes, and how they managed the transition to the larger school environment. Great care is taken to assuage any lingering fears and calm the nerves of the sixth-graders. Connections are made between the eighth-grade students and their WEB mentees that assure the new middle schoolers that they will have someone to turn to should questions arise in throughout the year at their new buildings.

Once they are trained, eighth-grade students are ready to lead kickoff events for the entering sixth-grade class. Shortly before school starts, all sixth-graders are invited to attend orientation at their middle school. When the sixth-graders arrive, they are greeted with cheers, applause, upbeat music and creatively-accessorized older students who are thrilled to see them. They

Middle school will still require an adjustment period, and there will still be butterflies for more than one sixth-grade student on the very first day. But thanks to the efforts of our counseling departments, our staff, and our enthusiastic eighthgraders, DeKalb’s sixth-grade students know that their new schools will quickly come to feel like home.

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Lincoln Hosts Grammy-Nominated Musician Thanks to the generosity of the PTA, Lincoln Elementary School was able to hold enrichment assemblies for all students on Thursday, May 12. And after two years of pandemic schooling restrictions, Lincoln was ready to bring the fun back in a major way!

Four-time Grammy nominated musician Justin Roberts came to DeKalb with guitarist Liam Davis and drummer Gerald Dowd to work with the Lincoln Lions. In the morning, older students learned the basics of songwriting and wrote their own short tune about waking up on a summer day. Later, younger students learned all about their “smart parts” that they use to think, move through the world, and be kind to others.

After lunch, all students were invited to the playground for a concert.

Justin, Liam and Gerald played some of their most popular songs, including “Yellow Bus” and “Willy was a Whale.” The students were an enthusiastic and polite audience, and were able to let loose a little bit and dance to the grand finale!

All in all, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the coming end of the school year. The Lincoln students and staff know that learning is serious business, but it is great to remember that school should be fun!

Jefferson Students Save “Potato” During Playground Renovations Most students would be excited to hear that their school was getting new playground equipment for them to climb on and enjoy. In February of 2022, however, students in second grade at Jefferson Elementary School had a slightly more nuanced perspective.

Mr. Metcalf’s students recognized that with the addition of the new equipment, older items would have to be removed to make space. One of the playground items headed for retirement was a concrete turtle that students had named Potato. The second grade class was distraught and created a petition to save the turtle.

The students sent their petition to the facility and operations staff, who agreed to meet with the class in person. In preparation for the meeting, students gathered over 300 signatures in support, made hats and posters, and wrote letters to persuade the district to save Potato. One student’s letter read,

“he is my friend and my pet ... Potato connects us to each other. If you take him away he will be sad, lonely and scared.”

During the meeting, students presented their persuasive argument, reading their letters to Mrs. Carson and Mr. Potter, and successfully saved Potato! This was a victory for the students and taught them a great deal. From a parental perspective, one parent remarked, “I thought it was fantastic to see the kids learning how to politely engage in political activism to make their voices heard in a productive way. I hope that it sticks with them – that what they think is important and matters and can make a difference.”

Jefferson Elementary School is so proud of its second-graders who demonstrated democracy in action. Their dedication earned Potato a fresh coat of paint and will keep him looking his best for many future generations!

JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

J e ff e r son Ele menta Schoo ry l receiv ed ne playgr w ound equip but se ment, condgrade s u re t rs mad o re s c e ue a b c o n c re eloved te turt le from retirem ent.

Malta Elementary School Community Garden a Source of School Pride DeKalb School District is very proud of our schools’ community gardens! Many of our elementary schools benefit from the gardens, established by the DeKalb County Community Gardens organization. Students and teachers help with planting, tending the gardens and harvesting the fruits and vegetables that they produce. Classes can take the vegetables inside and prepare healthy snacks, and students can take the garden’s crops home to their families.

In many ways, this helps our schools remain connected to DeKalb’s rich agricultural tradition while also learning about the value of fresh, nutritious food for today and food production sustainability for the future. The gardens are also a terrific opportunity for children to learn in a hands-on manner and enjoy being outdoors with their classmates.

Malta’s garden has been quite fruitful. Students are able to plant seeds in one school year and enjoy the benefits of that labor in the next.

Reflecting on their garden, Malta students had the following observations: “The broccoli we grow in the Malta garden is amazing! It is planted by one fourth-grade class and the seeds are so tiny!”

“We have to mark where we planted it, so we can watch for sprouts. It is slow to grow, but once it starts getting big, it starts to produce the most delicious broccoli!”

Malta students enjoy their garden and show off the broccoli they planted the previous school year.

Tyler Elementary School Girls on the Run Builds Confidence and Health Girls on the Run is a nationwide program that helps young women build confidence and self-reliance while getting exercise, too. The program aims to make the connection between physical and mental health, and it also teaches girls that fitness is fun.

Several of the district’s schools have Girls on the Run programs. Tyler Elementary

School’s program has been especially successful. Last spring Tyler held a “club” for Girls on the Run. It was open to fourth and fifth-grade girls and they trained with Tyler staff volunteers after school, twice a week, for eight weeks. At the end, they participated in the Girls on the Run 5K at NIU. It was a great event supported by the entire Tyler community – staff, students and families.

Littlejohn Elementary School Dual-Language Students Create Mural

Stude n t s c re ated The “D os una vo idiomas z” (“T langua ges on wo e voic mural e”) at Litt Eleme lejohn ntary Schoo l

All fourth- and fifth-grade dual-language students at Littlejohn Elementary School participated in a mural project with Mrs. Garcia-Martinez and Ms. Cisneros. Using a lines technique they learned with their art teacher, students created “choice spirals.”

The spirals were graphic representations that expressed what it means to them to be Latino. Those images included sports, food, clothing, music and cultural symbols from indigenous communities native to Latin America.

Students worked together for a week to create the mural. They titled their project “Dos idiomas una voz” because, as Mrs. Garcia-Martinez explains, “many of the students are not just Mexican or just American and we all speak two languages, but our voices matter even when we feel no one is listening.”

The students also learned about similar murals in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Pilsen’s murals draw on the cultural heritage and traditions of muralists throughout Mexico and other Latin American countries, and Pilsen’s artists have created works that represent the voice of its residents. The Littlejohn mural represents the dual-language students’ voices. It is wonderful to have a graphic representation of their identities to share with the entire school community!

DEKALB HIGH SCHOOL

Wrestling Team Takes Second in State for 2021-22 It takes a lot for the DeKalb Wrestling team to have a standout season. The program has been successful since Don Flavin brought the sport to our school in 1954. In the decades that have followed, DeKalb Wrestling has 66 winning seasons, won 1,054 dual meets, celebrated 80 state place winners and 11 state champions, and earned nine state-level team trophies.

Head coach Sam Hiatt is very familiar with the tradition of excellence in the program he leads.

Hiatt, a 2000 graduate of DeKalb High School, was the team’s first four-time state placewinner and a state champion in his senior year. He and his brothers, Andy and Max, were a part of many successful DeKalb Wrestling teams and are aware that an expectation of a high level of performance follows the program.

The 2021-2022 DeKalb Wrestling team met and

surpassed the high expectations, carrying on the tradition of excellence that started with Coach Flavin.

Twelve wrestlers qualified for the individual state finals in Champaign, where they earned a school record seven medals. Gavin Engh took sixth place at 220, Danny Curran took fifth at 132, Danny Aranda took fourth at 120, Bryson Buhk and Damien Lopez

each took third place at 195 and 152 respectively, Bradley Gillum was the state runner up at 182 and Tommy Curran was the State Champion at 145 pounds.

After their individual state success, DeKalb’s wrestlers were well-poised for the team state series. The Barbs defeated Conant 63-12 in the Sectional Semifinal and then went on to beat Glenbard West 53-18 in the Sectional Final and qualify for team state.

At team state, Coach Hiatt and his team handled Lockport in the state semifinals and prepared to take on Mount Carmel. They ultimately lost in the state final match by a score of 32-27, ending the season as state runners up. As the best public school wrestling team in Illinois, Hiatt and his 21-22 team are carrying on the long-standing tradition of excellence in DeKalb Wrestling and comes with great pride.

INCubator Program Trains Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurial Leaders DeKalb High School’s Business Department is home to a brand new program for the 2022-2023 school year: the INCubator.

Taught by Mr. Pluskota, INCubator provides students with an authentic entrepreneurial environment in which they can create a product or service. In the classroom, students learn about foundational topics like marketing and product development, but the unique part of INCubator is the handson, real-world element that allows students to carry out their business plans.

Mr. Pluskota guides his teams of students through the written curriculum as well as the business development process with the help of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. Matt Duffy, the Chamber’s Executive Director, worked with Mr. Pluskota to identify five mentors and seven coaches to imbue the program with local expertise. Mentors meet with their student groups at least twice a month, tackling issues like how to determine the MVP (minimum viable product) that would be a fit for their idea. Coaches come in to share their knowledge and acumen with students, co-teaching lessons with Mr. Pluskota so that the class can benefit from their years of experience. This has created a new way for DeKalb alumni to give back

to their alma mater, as well; State Farm’s Micah Stoddard, DeKalb class of 2003, has been a regular visitor to the INCubator in its first semester. Mr. Pluskota is always looking for additional coaches and mentors to bring new skill sets to the classroom to compliment his own accounting background, so feel free to contact him if you have something to contribute!

The program is developing career skills that will be highly valuable for students that go into business or a related field. But INCubator has other benefits, as well. As Mr. Pluskota points out, “by the time students are done with this program, they can have an operational company, including start-up money. It is also a great way for students to develop soft-skills like communication in a non-traditional way, which is very important as so much of education is now technologybased.” The students in the INCubator program have to compromise with their teammates, pitch their ideas to familiar or unfamiliar audiences, and continuously improve their ideas until production begins.

The impact of these unique experiences will continue to be felt by the INCubator’s students in the future – no matter where their paths may lead.

DeKalb CUSD 428 is a Leader with Integrating Technology in Classrooms If you are constantly amazed at how much technology has impacted education, you are not alone. Students are now “digital natives” who have their own devices from the time they enter kindergarten, and teachers integrate technology into almost every aspect of their classrooms.

All schools are becoming more reliant on technology, in part due to the onset of the pandemic. Few districts made the leap as effectively as DeKalb CUSD 428. Thanks to our strong tech department, led by DHS alumnus Ben Bayle, our 1:1 Technology Initiative has been recognized by Google and our school district has been awarded the designation of a Google Apps for Education Reference District. This means that Google recommends that other districts looking to incorporate more technology use DeKalb as a model for how to roll out their own adoptions.

The road to Google recognition was paved with hard work and a commitment to continuous improvement on the part of district staff, students and teachers. The tech department visited other districts to learn about their implementation processes, piloted the use of chromebooks in eighth grade students

and hired an instructional coach to help staff learn about integrating technology into their practices. Professional development took place over the course of several school years and was well-received by staff. One teacher said, “Fortunately, the district put into place exactly what we needed. We have professional development and an instructional tech coach that has led us through this journey. Things were put into place to help me be successful.”

We may not know exactly what new technologies are coming in the future, but our students will be well-prepared to learn about them because of the forethought our tech department put into our 1:1 initiative. As another teacher explained, “Before I had chromebooks and Google Classroom, instructional time was lost because of the time it would take to get the kids on computers and where they needed to be. Therefore my kids only used technology one day per week at best.”

With our current level of integration, students are harnessing the power of educational technology every day.

Thanks to the tech department and the collaboration of our staff, our students will be ready to adapt to whatever lies ahead.

Moved from Microsoft Visited other districts Provided professional support Distributed over 5,000 Exchange to Gmail for cost, implementing 1:1 and G Suite. development for our staff on Chromebooks to students and storage, and management.

Piloted 1:1 Chromebooks G Suite applications, integrating staff. 1:1 in grades K-12 and Added email accounts for in 8th grade and hired an classroom tools, SAMR and fully embracing the Google all students, K-12. instructional coach for support. 21st Century Classrooms. platform across the district.

Reading Intervention in Elementary Schools While all aspects of pandemic schooling were challenging, supporting students’ reading development was identified as a major area of need coming into the 2021 school year. Recognizing the critical role reading plays in academic achievement, our Teaching and Learning team sprang into action. Teachers and staff in six elementary buildings adopted the RISE reading intervention, undergoing intensive training and preparing in the summer to meet students where they were at as soon as school was underway.

Retired teachers joined the effort to maximize the impact on our second and third grade students. Instead of 20 minutes of direct reading instruction, students in the RISE program worked in small groups for an hour a day to accelerate their reading growth. Results from the program are very exciting, as our students have benefitted from this additional time and focus. Here is some

of the feedback from students, parents, and teachers about RISE: n “I really like reading a lot – it’s good! I feel better than I felt last year.” n “It is amazing how much of an impact this has had in such a short period of time. My daughter really enjoys reading at home now, which was a struggle before.” n “I love how the students are connecting with books. They especially like the nonfiction books.” n “I wish I had had RISE when I was a teacher [prior to retirement].”

The data we gathered on progress made by our RISE students demonstrate the program’s success and provide us with optimism about student growth in years to come. Many thanks to our staff members and teachers – current and retired. They truly RISE to meet every challenge to support our students.

Observed growth after RISE Program – expected growth is three months

MULTILINGUAL PROGRAM

Language Programs Are Expanding for Learners in District Our multilingual programs continue to grow and expand.

We are very excited that our Two Way Dual Language Program is now serving kindergarten, first and second grades at Cortland, Founders and Littlejohn elementary schools. In the next few years, Two Way Dual Language will advance to fifth grade, serving all levels of elementary schools and building biliteracy and bilingualism in students who speak Spanish and English at home. While we serve students with many different home languages, Spanish is by far the most common language spoken by our linguistically diverse families.

In order to meet the needs of our growing programs, we have been providing specialized professional development to our teachers. Several teachers were able to attend a two-way dual language conference in Riverside, California to learn about best practices in programs like ours. We also developed our own training to build capacity in our teachers within the district.

Additionally, we have recruited international staff that can help us serve our multilingual learners. We currently have five teachers and one assistant from Brazil, Colombia, and Spain to work in our K-8 One and Two Way Dual Language Programs. One of the teachers from Spain is a Special Education Resource teacher and serves our linguistically diverse elementary students with Individualized Education Plans.

The addition of international teachers has brought a variety of perspectives on teaching and learning, and a lot of authentic cultural knowledge to our students! On top of the teachers who work in our schools, we have hosted visiting teachers from Uruguay for the past few years. We are proud of the breadth and depth of experiences these international connections have brought to our programs.

FIRST ANNUAL DUAL LANGUAGE INSTITUTE JULY 2022

Kindergargen through fifth-grade Dual Language Teacher Teams (shown at right) attended dual language training in July 2022.

D428’s Lighthouse Dual Language Program rolled up to first grade in FY22 serving both English and Spanish Learners at Cortland, Founders, and Littlejohn Elementary Schools.

TWO-WAY DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION Two Way Dual Language Educators attended the Association for Twoway Dual Language Education Conference in Riverside, CA in June.

At left: AJ Crook, Lucy G’Fellers, Bobbi Stears, Joanie Novak, Ana Andrade, Jose Gomez, Melissa Ploog and Julie Chavez (not pictured: Emily Weller and Rick Davis).

URUGUAY TEACHER EXCHANGE FOR FY22

D428 partnered with NIU’s Drs James Cohen, Stephen Tonks, and Terry Borg with Uruguay’s Fulbright Foundation. Approximately 20 teachers spent time in K-12 Bilingual, ESL, and Gen Ed classrooms learning how education works in our country. They took the tips and tricks they learned from us back to their schools in Uruguay! Along with exchanging teaching practices, we exchanged cultures through events outside of the school day.

The Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting is presented to

DeKalb Community Unit School District #428 for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2021.

The district report meets the criteria established for ASBO International’s Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting.

William A. Sutter President

VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS FOR FY22

D428 recruited 5 teachers and one assistant from Brazil, Colombia, and Spain to work in its One and Two Way Dual Language Programs. One of the teachers from Spain is a Special Education Resource teacher and served our linguistically diverse elementary students with IEPs.

One group (above) at CRMS. The other group (left) went to HMS for the day.

David J. Lewis Executive Director

The Association of School Business Officials International awarded DeKalb Community Unit School District #428 the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting. ASBO International’s COE recognizes districts that have met the program’s high standards for financial reporting and transparency. The school district earned the Certificate of Excellence for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ended 2021.

By participating in the COE program, school districts demonstrate their commitment to financial transparency.

Applicants submit their ACFR for review by a team of financial professionals who provide feedback to improve future documents. If the report meets the requirements of the program, it may receive the Certificate of Excellence.

A district’s participation in the COE program can facilitate bond rating and continuing bond disclosure processes.

DeKalb CUSD #428’s Business Office has received this award annually for more than a decade.

FACTS AT A GLANCE Building

Address

Administration

Phone

Students

Early Learning & Development Center

1515 S. Fourth St., DeKalb, Door 31

Kimberly Lyle, Principal

(815) 754-2999

252

Brooks Elementary (K-5)

3225 Sangamon Rd., DeKalb

Donna Henry, Principal Thomas Shuman, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-9936

350

District #428 Education Center

Cortland Elementary (K-5)

370 E. Lexington Ave., Cortland

Jennifer Hilliard, Principal Melissa Frankel, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-2360

524

901 South Fourth Street | DeKalb, IL 60115 (815) 754-2350 | Fax: (815) 758-6933

Founders Elementary (K-5)

821 South Seventh St., DeKalb

Connie Rohlman, Principal Lamie Cedillo, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-3800

559

Jefferson Elementary (K-5)

211 McCormick Dr., DeKalb

Melanie Bickley, Principal Candice Coleman, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-2263

324

Lincoln Elementary (K-5)

220 East Sunset Pl., DeKalb

Jennifer Tallitsch, Principal Chardon Hill-Hamilton, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-2212

291

Littlejohn Elementary (K-5)

1121 School St., DeKalb

Rick Davis, Principal Laura Young, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-2258

361

Malta Elementary (K-5)

5068 State Rte. 38, Malta

Kristine Baccheschi, Principal Stephanie Henkel, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-2970

288

Communities Served DeKalb, Cortland, and Malta (108.3 square miles)

E-mail Addresses (name)@d428.org (name = first name.last name)

District Website www.dist428.org

Daily Time Schedule Education Center

7:30 a.m. -4:30 p.m.

Tyler Elementary (K-5)

1021 Alden Circle, DeKalb

Jennice Turner, Principal Sherry Dority, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-2389

312

PreK/Blended

9 -11:30/12:45- 3:15

Clinton Rosette Middle School (6-8)

650 North First Street, DeKalb

Brant Boyer, Principal Nacolia Stallians, Assistant Principal Brenda DeLacy, Dean

(815) 754-2226

631

Huntley Middle School (6-8)

1515 South Fourth St., DeKalb

Treveda Redmond, Principal Sean Chamberlain, Assistant Principal Terrence Allen, Assistant Principal

(815) 754-2241

944

DeKalb High School (9-12)

501 West Dresser Rd., DeKalb

Donna Larson, Principal Sara Jennings, Assistant Principal Melinda Cattell, Assistant Principal Aaron Lewandowski, Dean Kirk Scales, Dean Peter Goff, Director of Activities & Athletics

(815) 754-2100

2,120

Early Childhood

8:45-11:45/12:30-3:30

K-5 Buildings

8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

6–8 Buildings

7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

9–12 Building

7:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Administration

Minerva Garcia-Sanchez, Ed.D., Superintendent Ben Bayle, Director of Technology Cynthia Carpenter, Director of Business and Finance Tammy Carson, Director of Facility & Safety Operations Kyle Gerdes, Director of Student Services Billy Hueramo, Director of Teaching and Learning for Elementary Sarah Montgomery, Director of Teaching and Learning for Secondary Amonaquanette Parker, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Deetra Sallis, Director of Human Resources

Board of Education

Samantha McDavid, President Deyci Ramirez, Vice President Ariel Owens, Secretary Amanda Harness Sarah Moses Jeromy Olson David Seymour

Program Coordinators

Sara Bates, SEL Coordinator Lisa Becker, Assistant Director of Student Services AJ Crook, Multilingual Coordinator Jennifer Darlinger, Student Services Coordinator Andy Langlois, Data Strategist Nicole Maxwell, ELDC/Elementary Student Services Coordinator Jessica Nall, Coordinator of Assessments Brandon Royer, Secondary Student Services Coordinator Katheryne Russell, Curriculum Coordinator

Transportation Services

First Student Tina Schroeder, Branch Manager (815) 748-2901 Brenda Jergens, District Transportation Liaison (815) 754-2199

Partnership Programs

Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) Tom Crouch, Director (815) 825-2000 Menta Academy Jason Kudelka Chief Operating Officer (630) 907-2400

Food Service

Denise Giammarrusco, Aramark Director (815) 754-2110 Mike Chamness, District Food Services Manager (815) 754-2987 Lisa Ruiz, Food Services Office Professional (815) 754-2162

Total Operating Revenue for the Year Ended June 30, 2021

1.9% 1.7% 3.4% 3.5%

 Property Tax Receipts

$134,671

 Student Fees/Food Service Payments

37.6%

12.6%

$1,935,564

$56,105,047

18.2%

$31,638,121

 Grants and Categorical Payments

82.5%

Total State Sources

 Local Sources  State Sources  Federal Sources

Total Operating Revenue

$56,105,047 $38,371,351 $7,700,161

$93,947,534

Operating Expenditures by Function

$38,371,351

Federal Revenue Sources  National School Meal Program

30.9%

57.2%

8.4%

38.3%

$4,406,650

 Special Education

$2,378,174

 Instruction $50,052,615  Support Services $35,946,114  Community Services $92,145  Payment to Other Districts & Gov’t Units $7,856,660

$7,700,161

Total

History of Operating Revenue, Expense & Fund Balance (Education, Tort, O&M, Trans., IMRF, WC)

$93,947,534

$120,000,000 $110,000,000 $100,000,000 $90,000,000 $80,000,000 $70,000,000 $60,000,000 $50,000,000 $40,000,000

 Revenue

$30,000,000

 Expenditures

$20,000,000

 Fund Balance

$10,000,000 $2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

53.3%

$915,337

 Title Grants

Total Federal Sources

$102,176,559

$48,847,767 $17,081,153 $11,879,960 $4,727,257 $4,323,104 $7,088,293

Total

$6,733,230

0.1%

11.9%

52%

 Salaries  Benefits  Purchased Services  Supplies & Materials  Capital Outlay  Other Objects

State Revenue Sources  Evidence-Based Funding

54.9%

$407,188

 Other Local Revenue

Total Local Sources

17.5%

7.5%

5%

$1,976,916

 Investment Income

87.5% 92.1%

4.6%

$51,650,708

 Corp. Personal Property Replacement Tax

7.5%

Operating Expenditures by Object

Local Revenue Sources

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

DeKalb Community Unit School District #428 901 South Fourth Street • DeKalb, IL 60115 Phone: 815.754.2350 | En Espanol: 815.754.2102 | Fax: 815.758.6933 www.d428.org

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